The 'greek place' packs them in during final week in Cedar Rapids

They lined up out the door this week for one final taste of the Vernon Inn.

The "greek place" at 2874 Mount Vernon Road SE will close at the end of business on Sunday. News of the impending closure brought a boost to business all week.

The Greek restaurant has been a landmark on the local restaurant scene for 36 years, and many diners believe the void will be hard to fill.

The Vernon Inn was the first taste of Greek food for many diners, and many became hooked on dishes like roast lamb, spanakopita, tzatziki, dolmathes and avgolemono soup.

The appeal was much more than the cuisine, however. The soothing dimly-lit atmosphere made it perfect for conversation, and the serving staff was among the most experienced in Cedar Rapids.

Retired school teachers, Larry and Judy Blum of Cedar Rapids, have been dining at the Vernon Inn for more than 30 years. After putting in their order Wednesday, they text messaged their children who've moved away to California and Connecticut with news of their last supper at Vernon Inn.

"This was probably the first ethnic food we tasted with our kids except pizza," Judy Blum said. "It was fun to introduce our kids to it."

"We love that it's local, that it's real," said Sandi Herder, dining with her husband John for one last time at the Vernon Inn. "We love just about everything on the menu."

A signature feature of the Vernon Inn dining experience was the sight and smell of a pan-seared cheese dish called saganaki being doused with brandy and ignited table-side to shouts of, "opa!"

"My son's favorite word is 'opa' because of the Vernon Inn," said Austin Towell, a Rockwell Collins engineer from Cedar Rapids who was waiting to be seated Wednesday night.

Hearing the word, three-year-old Marcus Towell threw his hands in the air and happily cried out, "opa!"

The Vernon Inn began on Feb. 6, 1976 in a small leased pub space across Mount Vernon Road from the current location by brothers Basil and Stavros Hadjis, using family recipes.

Their peppery father, Stavros, was a Greek immigrant who had once cooked in the Greek navy. Both Stavros and his wife Bessie lent a hand in the kitchen.

For Basil Hadjis, who took over full ownership of the restaurant and expanded it to include a pizza concept, it became a career. His marriage to Lynn Hadjis was only two years old when the restaurant opened. Their three children all worked in the restaurant, and daughter Katie stayed until the end.

On Wednesday, Basil Hadjis received thanks and farewells from dozens of customers as the family and employees scurried to serve the full house.

"It's been bittersweet, but it's a nice way to finish out," Basil said. After pouring his energies into the restaurant for 36 years, he was savoring a few months rest before beginning work on a cook book and other ventures.

On Monday, "It will probably feel like school's out for the summer," Basil said.

The bitter part of the closing was that the exit did not turn out as planned financially. The couple had planned to sell the restaurant property to Ankeny-based convenience store chain Kum & Go. After selling, they planned to open a smaller take-out version of the restaurant on a property they own a few blocks away.

The sale would have made the family whole, Basil said, on years of building the business and struggling through a prolonged Mount Vernon Road widening project that cut into the trade for several years. Business had also been affected by the economy and a dining trend toward less costly restaurants in the "fast casual" segment.

After objections from some 13 neighbors and a petition opposing the change, the Cedar Rapids City Council in January declined to vote on a rezoning petition.

The request received less consideration than Basil had hoped, regardless of the outcome. He said it was difficult to communicate with the city about the project, and some council members seemed uninterested in hearing Kum & Go's plans to mitigate the neighborhood impact because they had already made their judgments about the project.

The couple are planning a move to the Chicago area to be near a grandchild. They have listed the restaurant for sale, and are in talks with a potential operator to use the Sweet Basil's Pizza Pie Concept they offered at the Vernon Inn in a building they own at 2874 Mount Vernon Road SE.

To Basil Hadjis, a good ending is an opportunity for a fresh start, with his career and with a wife who was served a supporting role in his family and the restaurant for so long.

"Lynn has been unbelievable," Hadjis said. "I need to give her something back."

The familiar faces of loyal customers and employees will also be missed. Three generations of some families had become regulars.

"It's hard to imagine where the time went," Basil said.